work stress

There’s nothing wrong with loving certain stereotypically masculine features in a man--for instance, I appreciate a guy who can grow a nice beard or who has broad shoulders--but is a job one of them? read more

Dolls, I love a good cup of coffee so today’s unofficial holiday has me all sorts of excited. It’s National Coffee Day and a few java spots across the country are celebrating in a very budget friendly (for us!) way. read more

Dears, will you see I Don’t Know How She Does It starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Olivia Munn? It opens in theaters on Friday and it’s all about the struggles that accompany balancing your professional and personal life. I was supposed to check out the movie at an early screening yesterday afternoon, but in a funny twist of fate, I had to miss the film. read more

A number of my friends have two sets of dinnerware. One is for everyday and another for fancier fetes, like having the boss over for dinner. Interestingly though, none of these friends has ever hosted a dinner for the office big wig. Just for giggles, let’s play a little dinner party game. Imagine the boss wants to have dinner with you and your boyfriend. But whose boss would you rather have dinner with? Yours or your boyfriend’s? Things to consider read more

On Saturday, I drove up the California coast to San Luis Obispo, which is about four hours away from my city. I was meeting a friend who had driven down from the Bay area. The very long (and very lonely!) drive made me think all the hours I’ve spent driving and on buses while commuting to work over the years. Do you have a long commute? Let’s chat read more

Today is Take Your Child to Work Day! The program started 19 years ago when event organizers realized that showing youngsters what adults actually do in the workplace would be a truly "enriching educational experience." Are you participating today? read more

We all get a little overwhelmed now and then; work commitments and family responsibilities pile up and before we know it, we’re totally frazzled. Taking some time—even just a few minutes—out of your busy schedule to treat yourself can do wonders. Feeling all wound up and not sure how to chill? Here are four super easy ideas read more

I was out running errands last week when I heard the most peculiar topic being discussed on NPR: rickrolling. For the uninitiated, rickrolling is an internet practical joke of sorts. How it works: pranksters send either a link or video to a friend. When the recipient clicks on the link or video expecting one thing, he or she is treated instead to a video of Rick Astley’s hit song “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Sometimes the lyrics are cleverly embedded in a message, letter or even an essay. read more

All the things we love about Facebook (easily sharing photos, funny status updates, keeping tabs on old friends and exes) come at a price. While we love seeing what others are up to, it also means others can see what we’re up to. How closely do you monitor what you’re putting out there on Facebook? read more

I’m feeling especially random this Wednesday afternoon so let’s play a head-scratching round of Would You Rather, shall we? Let’s imagine that your boss has just presented you with an interesting proposition. Because of your super star efforts around the office, the big wig has decided to reward you by shaving some time off of your work day tomorrow. Your boss tells you that you may come in an hour later than your usual start time or you may leave an hour earlier than your normal quitting time. Which do you chose? A few things to ponder read more

Hey ladies! You guys seemed to like the "Love You Pancakes" recipe so much that I thought I'd share another gem from Glamour's new cookbook with you. And get excited because this one involves booze. read more

Happy National Bracket Day! I didn’t pay much attention to March Madness until I started working in an office. But once I was introduced to brackets and such, I became an enthusiastic convert. And I’m not alone. Several studies suggest that there’s a dip in office productivity during these games. Others call hogwash. College basketball can be super exciting, but since we’re all about the sexy here on Smitten, let’s talk about scoring in the bedroom. read more

Though Glamour’s Women of the Year awards have come and gone, the inspiration and excitement has yet to leave me. I doubt it will anytime soon! Listening to all of the amazing women speak candidly about their hopes and dreams caused my own train of thought to wander back down memory lane. When you were a little girl, what did dream of becoming as a grown up? read more

Years ago, I had a coworker who was all about TMI. She’d chat endlessly about her dating life, alternating between the fights she’d have with her boyfriend and the angry makeup sex that followed. Funny thing is, she’d talk to the entire staff about her drama—even those coworkers she wasn’t close to at all! read more

If you’ve ever been fired, laid off or just plain undervalued by your boss—and if you, like me, have had a crush on Ben Affleck since his Voyage of the Mimi days—then you’re going to be excited about this... read more

I’ll be the first to admit that chatting on the phone is one of my least favorite forms of communication. It doesn’t offer the self-editing of email and it can be hard to determine reactions without seeing facial expressions. Combine making phone calls with selling something unsolicited, and wowzers—I’m getting knots in my stomach just thinking about it! read more